Device to hold bag open

ABSTRACT

The device to hold a bag open is a strap that is formed into an expandable loop that is placed into the mouth of a bag and expanded to keep the mouth of the bag open by tension. The strap is formed from a flexible, resilient material that is either straight or arcuate in its relaxed state. A plurality of ratchet teeth are disposed at one end of the strap and a spring-biased clasp is attached to the opposite end of the strap. A button or lever on the clasp is pushed to release a pawl on the clasp so that the toothed end can be inserted through the clasp and drawn far enough through the clasp so that the diameter of the loop is small enough to fit into the mouth of the bag. The resiliency of the strap material urges the strap to return to its straight or relaxed state, thereby exerting tension against the mouth of the bag to keep the bag mouth open.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/587,936, filed Jul. 15, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device used to hold open a lawn bagso that a user does not need help from a second person to keep the bagopen as the bag is being filled.

2. Description of the Related Art

Plastic receptacles are commonly used for collecting leaves, trash,rubbish and soiled linens. These plastic receptacles are useful becausethey may be disposed of with little expense, but it is often difficultto collect leaves and other trash by oneself. Many communities havestarted to require the use of paper refuse bags, which have similardifficulties but do not stretch like a traditional plastic bag in andaround a garbage can. Thus, a device for holding bags open is neededthat can accommodate both plastic and paper refuse bags of differentsizes. Prior art stands and devices for holding open bags are generallynot adjustable and are designed to only handle a bag of a single size.

Further, clipping devices for sealing bags are well known in the art,however, such clips can cause bags to tear. A wide variety of stands andsupports have been utilized for maintaining a bag in an open position,but such prior art stands and supports are generally stand alonemembers, rather than being unitary pieces, such as the subjectinvention, which can easily be held in one hand by the user.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or incombination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus,a device to hold bag open solving the aforementioned problems isdesired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device to hold a bag open is a strap that is formed into anexpandable loop that is placed into the mouth of a bag and expanded tokeep the mouth of the bag open by tension. The strap is formed from aflexible, resilient material that is either straight or arcuate in itsrelaxed state. A plurality of ratchet teeth are disposed at one end ofthe strap and a spring-biased clasp is attached to the opposite end ofthe strap. A button or lever on the clasp is pushed to release a pawl onthe clasp so that the toothed end can be inserted through the clasp anddrawn far enough through the clasp so that the diameter of the loop issmall enough to fit into the mouth of the bag. The resiliency of thestrap material urges the strap to return to its straight or relaxedstate, thereby exerting tension against the mouth of the bag to keep thebag mouth open.

The bag can be laid on its side or otherwise supported while the bag isfilled. Once the bag is full, the lever or button is depressed so thatthe loop can be reduced in diameter and removed from the bag. Afterbeing removed from the bag, the resiliency of the strap causes the loopto expand, separating the ends of the strap and returning the strap toits relaxed state for use with another bag.

The strap can be made from any flexible, resilient material, plasticbeing an economical, easy to form choice. An exemplary application forthe device is use of the device to hold a lawn bag open while rakingleaves or other yard waste into the bag, although other applicationscalling for a device to keep the mouth of a bag open will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art. The device is best used withplastic bags having sufficient flexibility, strength, and enoughelasticity that the mouth of the bag will stretch slightly withouttearing when tension is applied to the bag by the strap, but the devicemay also be used with heavy paper bags.

These and other features of the present invention will become readilyapparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of the device to hold a bagopen according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device to hold a bag open according to thepresent invention, shown in a relaxed state.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device of the present invention in a relaxedstate.

FIG. 4 is a fragmented side view showing the junction of the ends of thedevice of the present invention when joined together to form a loop.

FIG. 5 is a fragmented, environmental, perspective view showingadjustment of the diameter of the loop formed by the device to hold abag open according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a device to hold open a bag, generallydesignated as 10. As shown in FIG. 1, in a typical application thedevice 10 is placed within the open end of a bag B to hold the open endof the bag B open. A user P can then hold onto a single point along thedevice 10 with a single hand to hold the bag B in an open state, andthen use the other hand to collect leaves T (or other trash items) offof the ground G. The device 10 may be used with either plastic or paperrefuse bags B. It will be understood that the device 10 is not limitedto use with lawn bags, but may be used in any other application where itis desired to hold the mouth of a bag open.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the device 10 is an elongated, flat strap 11of flexible, resilient material that has two opposite surfaces 13 and 15and two opposing ends 12 and 14. The first surface 13 is substantiallysmooth through its length. The second surface 15 has a plurality ofratchet teeth 16 disposed at the second end 14. Each of the teeth 16 hasa front wall 24 substantially perpendicular to the length of the strap11. A clasp 18 is disposed on the second surface 15 at the first end 12of the strap 11. The clasp 18 includes a spring-biased pawl 20 having afront face 22 biased downward towards the second surface 15 to mate withthe flat face 24 of the teeth 16. The pawl 20 is held above the firstend 12 of the strap 11 by two side support members 21. An axle 23 isprovided to allow the pawl 20 to pivot so that the second end 14 may beinserted between the pawl 20 and the second surface 15 to form a loop. Aspring, e.g., a torsion spring, is provided within the clasp 18 toprovide a rotational force for keeping the pawl 20 in position to pressagainst the front wall 24 of a tooth 16.

The strap 11 is preferably made of an injection-molded, resilient,flexible plastic material, but may also be made with other suitablyresilient yet flexible materials. As shown in FIG. 3, the second end 14preferably has a smaller width than the first end 12 so that the secondend 14 may fit between into the clasp 18. The transition from the firstwidth of the first end 12 to the second width of the second end 14 maybe abrupt or gradual. The first end 12 of the strap 11 preferably has awidth of between 1″ to 2.5″. The second end 14 of the band 10 preferablyhas a width of between 1.5″ to 3″. The strap 11 may also have a constantwidth of between 1″-2″ with the side support members 21 being spaced tothe sides of the first end 12.

The strap 11 preferably has a length of between about six and twelvefeet. Strap 11 is optimally about ten feet in length allowing for amaximum loop diameter of about three feet. The device 10 is preferablymade so that it may adjust between a one-foot diameter loop size and athree-foot diameter loop size. The strap 11 may be provided in a linearshape for easy packaging, or it may be provided in an arcuate shape toreduce the amount of tension on the strap 11 when it is placed into theloop arrangement.

FIG. 4 shows the first and second ends 12 and 14 of the band 10 in aconnected relationship for forming the device 10 into a loop. The secondend 14 is placed over the second surface 15 of the first end 12, underthe pawl 20, and between the two side support members 21. The front face22 of the pawl 20 abuts the front wall 24 of a tooth 16 to keep thedevice 10 open to a desired diameter. The inside walls of a bag B willkeep the device 10 from expanding to a larger diameter when the device10 is in use.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the second end 14 is inserted underneath thepawl 20, the user P puts pressure on the end of the pawl 20 using afinger F to counteract the spring bias to place the pawl 20 in an openposition to allow the second end 14 to slide underneath the pawl 20. Thestrap 11 is formed into a loop 11 of a first outer diameter smaller thanthe inner diameter of the mouth of a bag B, inserted into the bag B, andthe resiliency of the strap 11 causes the loop to expand in diameter toadjust to the diameter of the bag B. The abutting of the front face 22of the pawl 20 against the front wall 24 of a selected tooth 16 willprevent the compressive pressure put on the loop by the bag B fromreducing the diameter of the loop. The elastic limit and strength of thematerial forming the bag B will further prevent the diameter of the loopfrom expanding.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A device to hold a bag open, comprising: an elongated strap offlexible, resilient material, the strap having a first end, an opposingsecond end, a first surface, and an opposing second surface; a claspmounted on the second surface of the strap at the first end, the clasphaving a pawl pivotally mounted thereon; and, a plurality of ratchetteeth mounted on the second surface of the strap, each of the teethhaving an outwardly facing wall perpendicular to the second surface, thestrap being dimensioned and configured for forming a loop holding amouth of the bag open by tension when placed in the mouth of the bag,the clasp releasably engaging at least one of the plurality of ratchetteeth, whereby the circumference of the loop may be adjusted by the usersuch that the circumference of the loop matches the circumference of themouth of the bag.
 2. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim1, wherein said pawl is pivotally supported by a pair of support membersprojecting upwardly from said second surface of said strap at said firstend thereof.
 3. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim 2,further comprising a spring for biasing said pawl against said pair ofsupport members.
 4. The device to hold a bag open as recited in claim 3,wherein said spring is a torsion spring.
 5. The device to hold a bagopen as recited in claim 1, wherein said loop has a substantiallycircular contour.